Bonn's vote for missiles triggers the inevitable

"Since by its actions the United States has torpedoed the possibility of
reaching a mutually acceptable accord at the talks on questions of
limiting nuclear arms in Europe ... the Soviet Union considers its
further participation in these talks impossible."

Somber in tone and menacing in content, that announcement by Soviet
Leader Yuri Andropov last week was far from unexpected.

Nonetheless, it marked a watershed of ominous dimensions for both the
Soviet Union and the 16-member NATO alliance. Andropov's 1,500-word
statement, delivered by the official Soviet news agency TASS,...